What kind of worship that is acceptable to God?

Worship that is consistent to the truth

• John 4:24 … God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.
• The truth referred here is the revelations of God in the Bible.
• Worship must be consistent to the revelations of God.
• Any form of worship that is incongruous to the teachings of God’s word is unacceptable no matter how sincere and passionate the worshipers are.

Worship that centers on God

• Exodus 20:3 … You shall have no other gods before me.
• Exodus 34:14 … Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
• Worship is exclusive to God. The reason is because there is no other god except the Lord. When He said, “You shall have no other gods except Me,” it doesn’t mean that God has a counterpart divine beings. God is One, and there is no other god before and after Him.

Worship that engages our total being

• Matthew 22:37 … Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
• We must engage our whole being in worship.
• Our mind and emotion. They must be focused on God in worship. Mindless and heartless praise are not praise at all. Worship must be free from any hypocrisy. God hates pretensions in all forms.

Worship must be consistent to God’s character of Holiness

• The Bible says, “Worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness.”
• Psalms 29:2 … Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
• Psalms 96:9 … Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

It implies two principles:

• Worship must not be associated with orgies or any immoral activity.
• The true worshiper of God must be separated or consecrated unto God.

How can we worship God?

From the biblical point of view, a “way” can never be changed or altered except being abrogated by a new divine revelation, while expression can be varied. There is variety of expression.

Declaring His praise

The Bible is filled of commands to praise the name of the Lord, to exalt Him above all others. One must only open His Bible in the book of Psalms to know this truth.

Thanking Him

To give thanks to God is a biblical mandate. All God’s people are mandated to honor God through thanksgiving. However, genuine thanksgiving flows naturally from those who experienced the mercy of God

Obeying His commands

John 14: 15 … If you love me, keep my commands.Love and obedience are inseparable elements when we are to truly worship God. You can’t say you love Him but live contrary to His will.

There are specific commands in the bible, and I want to mention just a few.

We are mandated to:

• Trust God - It is to be wholly convinced that God is able to handle your life now and in the future. It is to hope in Him without any stain of doubt.
• Love one another - This is a very important command in the New Testament. The love that is used here is divine, “agape”. It is to love without conditions. It is to love any person regardless of his/her status, personality, race, etc. It is even to regard others more important than you.
• Pray - Live in purity & holiness
• Give offerings for the expansion of the work of His kingdom here on earth
• Be filled with the Spirit
• Serve God

Proclaiming your faith

Matthew 5:16 … In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

What is the right motive of worship?

God’s pleasure

The ultimate goal and purpose of worship must be the pleasure of God. True, biblical and God-honoring worship aims for God’s glory.

Love

Do you truly love God?

Gratitude

Specific reasons why should our hearts be filled with gratitude to God

• Our physical existence
• His blessings
• The forgiveness of our sins
• The sacrifice of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 … God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
• The gift of eternal life.

The story of a woman who came to anoint Jesus and the parable the Lord gave at that occasion found in Luke 7: 41-47 gives us important principles on being deeply grateful to God.

[41] “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42] Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”[43] Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. [44] Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. [45] You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. [46] You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. [47] Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

One should realize how much He received from God.
One should response to God’s generosity by expressing his heartfelt gratitude.

Trust

There is one thing indicated in the Scripture that can greatly please God: Faith.Trust greatly honors God because:

• It recognizes the Person of God.
• It recognizes the Power and Ability of God.
• It recognizes the Veracity of God’s Promises.